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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636056">time is precious</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aelins/pseuds/aelins'>aelins</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Grisha Trilogy - Leigh Bardugo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Character Study, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Pregnancy, and alina is shared between aleks/ivan, assumes ivan is immortal, ivan and alina discuss power while washing the dishes, very... introspective tbh</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 12:01:54</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>600</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28636056</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aelins/pseuds/aelins</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Alina and Ivan discuss the past and the future. Set 50 years after the events of Ruin and Rising.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Ivan/Alina Starkov, The Darkling | Aleksander Morozova/Alina Starkov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>36</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>time is precious</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>hey happy new year! i was in my grishaverse feels!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p class="p1">Ivan has never quite understood her fascination with breakable things. It’s been months since her power was restored, and the Darkling had sent Ivan to look after her. They had grown somewhat close, if only because they both knew this waiting game was coming to an end. Alina would not remain angry with the Darkling forever.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Alina might out last time itself, and her wild heart would beat for a no one less than the devil himself. She’d tried to be good, tried to cling to Mal, but as he grayed, and she stayed young, it was too much. Mal’s habit of smoking and chewing tobacco on hunting trips had always been disgusting to her—but the fact it had killed the only person who let her cling to her humanity?</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">She was angry.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">She was devastated.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Alina Starkov was the sun summoner, and it got dark when she said it did.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">But that did not mean she could pass on her immortal life.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1"><em>Give it time,</em> Aleksander had told the corporalnik.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">*~*~*</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">So as Ivan and Alina bumped elbows in the small kitchen they inhabit in Fjerda—Ivan poses a question, “Do you care for him?”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Alina’s eyes, once so focused on cleaning off the tea stains on the china Mal had given her, snap to Ivan. She sniffs, nose in the air. “I don’t know who you are talking about? If you’re asking about Mal, I think fifty years of marriage proves—“</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“What of longing, what of the way Mal met his end?” Ivan asks.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Alina blows some stray strands of hair out her face, with absolutely not grace.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">And then she shrugs, <em>shrugs</em> to Ivan.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“Don’t give me that,” Ivan laughs, “I know you think about him.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Alina drys her hand on a clean cloth, and tosses it at Ivan, “I want to show you something.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Taken aback, Ivan nods, “Ok, love whatever you want.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Alina flushes but doesn’t look away. She rolls up her sleeve and rinses her wrist, which Ivan can now see is terribly frail and thin—and the bangle that hangs there.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Alina sighs, “I know it’s fabrikator craft and won’t get ruined by just soapy water.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“It’s his rib bone isn’t it?”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Alina nods, putting her head in her hands.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“How do you even control it?” Ivan asks, referring to the blood lust, and the fact that she sunlight made human.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“I think of <em>him</em>.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“Mal?” Ivan says, running a hand through his sandy blonde hair.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“Nope.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Ivan gives her a knowing look, “He’s not all bad, my dear.” Ivan’s perfect, white smile is on display. It’s more of a shark’s grin than anything she’d seen recently from him.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“You’re a horrible liar.”</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">“And you’re not very good at hiding that you’re infatuated with me.” The shark’s smile is gone, and it’s just Ivan’s boyish dimples making her roll her eyes.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Alina shrugs, and they finish doing the dishes.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Ivan kisses her goodnight, and they let the elephant in the room—wilt like flowers.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">*~*~*</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The next day the Darkling comes to collect Alina, to bring her back to Ravka.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Ivan comes with them, and never reveals Alina’s secret, not even a year later when the Darkling’s heir is born not with jet black hair, but with green eyes and sandy blonde hair.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">Ivan never tells, and the Darkling never pries. Because she loves them both, loves so much she’s set the sky alight with the power of the sun for both of them.</p><p class="p2"> </p><p class="p1">The Darkling doesn’t care about her dalliances, and Ivan would happily share the woman he loves with his best friend.</p>
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